A Writer's Heart
by DragonGirlYumi
Summary: Ever wonder where K.A. Applegate got the idea for Animorphs? What if her stories were based off of something that happened to her personally?


**A Writer's Heart**

Summary: Ever wonder where K.A. Applegate got the idea for Animorphs? What if her stories were based off of something that happened to her personally?

Disclaimer: I don't own Animorphs, that honor goes to K.A. Applegate. This being so, I don't own Seerow either. I can only claim this story.

Thoughts: _'words'  
_Speaking: "words"  
Thought-speak: -_**words-**_

**-BREAK-**

**Ch.1:** _A Meeting of Minds_

((Katherine's POV))

She was stuck, there was no better word to describe it. She'd been working on this for hours and still nothing had come to her. Sure her dream of working with animals had come true but it wasn't enough. She wanted to write. The problem was that no one would even look at her, and even if they would she couldn't come up with a single thing to write. No matter how long she sat and thought nothing came to her. _'It's hopeless, why do I even bother? I'm young, barely twenty, my entire life is ahead of me. So why do I keep working on this? It's not like it's that important...'_ she sighed, pushing her mid-back length brown hair away from her face. _'Except that it is important, at least to me. I just wish...'_ She released another sigh. _'I just wish I could come up with something; anything that would make them look up and notice me.'_

_**-Then why not do something that will make them notice you? Simply sitting there doing nothing will not make your dream become realized. Stand up and make it happen if you truly want it.-**_

Her head came up abruptly and she looked around her empty apartment. It didn't look like anyone was there._ 'I must be hearing things. Looks like I've been working too hard again.'  
_

The voice came again, this time it sounded amused. _**-You are not hearing things, little one. Though I will admit to being surprised at hearing you myself. By the feel of you, you are far from me. You have a very powerful thought-speech range ability for us to be conversing as we are. Your parents must be very proud of such a feat.-**_ The voice trailed off for a moment then returned again, stronger than before. _**-Now then, before you come to think that I am rude, I am Artish Seerow-Iskillion-Falan. Currently I am stationed aboard the  
Domeship Freedom. We are docked planet side for the moment. Which reminds me, if it is not too bold of me to ask, which sector do you hail from? I would also like to know the name of the female with such a rare ability.-  
**_

Katherine blinked and shook her head._ 'That's it, no more late night snacks, they make me crazy.'  
_

Gentle laughter floated through her mind. _**-Ah, I understand, you are very young. I am a stranger and, though no older than you, a stranger still I remain. I must be the first to have heard your thought-speech like this when you were working. My apologies. You are not crazy. Now then, your name, dear lady?-**_

Katherine was quiet as she tried to figure out what exactly was happening to her. Some strange guy was talking to her and over half of what he was saying made absolutely no sense to her. And the way he spoke...It was too strange. What was going on? Who was this guys and how on Earth was she hearing him in her head? It was way beyond anything she'd ever had to deal with before. She had to be going crazy, or else she was dreaming. She nodded at that, deciding that had to be the answer and so she'd just go along with it and wait to wake up. After all, it didn't seem like this guy, Seerow he'd said, really wanted anything from her other than her name and for her to talk with him. She was fine with that. She realized that she'd been quiet too long when the voice came back, this time sounding clearly concerned.

_**-My lady?-**_

She jerked again, startled. Now she debated if she should really talk with him; even if all this was a dream. Her continued silence concerned him even more and a slight edge came into his mental voice that sounded very much like panic.

_**-Dear lady, please, speak to me. If I have offended you, I am truly sorry. I was simply delighted to have another to speak to that was not my Prince. Please...-**_

She sighed. He sounded really young when he spoke like that. So she decided to answer._ 'You said...' _She took a deep breath then released it before continuing. _'You said your name was Seerow, right? I'm Katherine. You'll have to excuse me, I'm not used to strange people speaking to me in the middle of the night. I swear I'm not offended or angry or anything.'_

A relieved sound came out of her new companion. _**-That is good, I am usually terrible with females. I just never seem to know what exactly to say to them. If it means anything to you, I did try to ignore you. Then you began broadcasting so much anger and frustration and despair that I could no longer help myself.  
I was driven to answer your pleas; to do something to make your hurting stop.-**_

That made her smile._'No one's really worried about me before. Except maybe my mom and dad, but that's their job.'_

She could almost feel his answering smile. _**-Well now you have me to worry about you as well.-**_ He grew quiet as if hesitating over his next words. Finally, his voice came again shyly. _**-That is if you wouldn't mind a lowly Artish.-  
**_

Even though she didn't exactly know what he meant by _'lowly Artish', _she couldn't help but laugh at that; _'I don't mind...'  
_

He seemed to feel her amusement. _**-Do not laugh at me. I cannot help it that I am extremely uncomfortable in this situation.-  
**_

This made her laugh harder._ 'Then maybe I should just leave you alone.'_

Apparently her mind had begun to withdraw from his because a moment later a fierce denial rose in her mind along with Seerow's almost desperate voice.

_**-No! Please to not. Katherine...I do not wish to be left alone. Please...please...Just stay, talk to me for a while.- **_His tone was almost frightened.

The smile faded from her face. She'd only been teasing him. _'Seerow what's wrong? You feel almost terrified.'_ She felt stupid saying it like that but it was true. She realized how desperate he sounded and wanted to find a way to help him.

He sounded much younger when he finally spoke again. _**-I am sorry for raising my voice. It is simply my first time off the home world and I fear very much being useless. I am not much of a fighter. My Prince despises me, and the other Artish on board want nothing to do with me. Truly I am alone. I thought when I heard you calling out that you may understand.-**_

Her expression softened at the tone in his voice. _'I'm sorry for upsetting you Seerow. I promise I'll stay here and talk with you for as long as you need. I won't leave you.' _She meant this too. Even if everything happening to her turned out to be a dream, she'd still do everything in her power to keep this person from sounding so lost again.

The desperate presence in her mind seemed to ease at her words. _**-I...thank you Katherine.-**_

_'No problem.'_

**-BREAK-**

((Seerow))

Seerow sighed to himself as he continued pacing back and forth in an ever widening circle around the Freedom. His fellow _Artish_ had already left long ago to go and make a final visit to his home before they left. Renlon was not a pleasant individual to be around most of the time and he often reminded Seerow, often forcibly, of how superior he believed he was to the other _Artish_. Renlon was far larger than he, this was true, but he lacked any patience and that would get him killed in the end. Still, it meant he was lacking for companionship. The captain had told them both it was fine for them to visit home but for Seerow home was on the other side of the planet in a completely different Sector. It was times like this he felt how truly alone he was.

Now that he was an _Artish_ in the military he was expected to do so much more than when he was younger. Truthfully, he'd much rather be a scientist than a fighter but his father wouldn't listen. He supposed it was because of how he looked. Being a male with very dark purple fur like a female had always caused him trouble from as far back as he could remember. Others in the Academy had bullied him and called him a _vecol_; called him useless and a fool. Growing up under these conditions had been hard. He'd had only a few friends and, even now, could count on one hand the number that befriended him because they'd wanted to and not because they felt sorry for him.

His closest friend and _shrorm_, Ardlen, had even gone into the military so that he wouldn't be alone then gone and gotten himself killed in a training exercise. He still felt the loss acutely. Now he'd give almost anything to have another person care enough to get that close to him again. He missed having someone to talk to who understood; missed being able to play simple games and have fun. He felt almost like he wanted to disappear. No one would miss him and he'd finally be free of all the judgments. That was when he heard it; a soft, pained and sorrowful voice that seemed to have come floating on the wind.

_**-It's hopeless, why do I even bother? I just wish...-**_

The voice seemed to fade for a long moment before he finally heard it again.

_**-I just wish I could come up with something; anything that would make them look up and  
notice me.-**_

He found that he couldn't move, that he didn't want to. She sounded so lost, so very sad. He didn't understand why she didn't do something for herself. He started then, realizing how alike they were. Here he had given up and hearing his own thoughts reflected back at him, he was driven almost forcibly to do something to take the sadness from her tone. It gave him new hope that perhaps someone would finally understand him. So he took a chance and reached out to a complete stranger and told her what he thought.

He felt her mind give a violent start and couldn't help but be slightly amused at what she said next.

_**-Must be hearing things. I've been working too hard again.-**_

He reached out along what felt like a very large distance to soothe and reassure her of his presence. If he was hearing her when she was obviously far away, perhaps even on the other side of the planet, then her thought-speech range must be incredible. He mentioned this to her a moment later. He grew quiet for a long moment to gather himself and then with as strong and calm a tone as he could manage, introduced himself formally to the female then took the risk of asking about her; her name and which Sector she hailed from.

He could feel her puzzlement at his presence. _**-No more late night snacks, they make me crazy.-**_

He couldn't help but laugh at this. It then occurred to him how young she must be. So he tried the approach Ardlen used to use. He tried being overly polite and noble.

_**-Ah, I understand, you are very young. I am a stranger and, though likely no older than you, a stranger still I remain. I must be the first to have heard your thought-speech like this when you were working. My apologies. You are not crazy. Now then, your name, dear lady?-**_

He received a violent shock when her mind abruptly disappeared and he was left alone. His pacing grew frantic as he waited endlessly for her response. After several minutes of silence, he grew concerned and called for her.

_**-My lady?-**_

Still he received no response. Finally believing he may have insulted the first being capable of understanding him since his _shrorm's_ death, he became desperate and started calling for her. It was foolish and made him sound weak, he knew, but for the moment he didn't care about anything but hearing her speak to him again. He didn't want to be alone; not again!

_**-Dear lady, please, speak to me. If I have offended you, I am truly sorry. I simply was delighted to have another to speak to that was not my Prince. Please...-**_

For a terrifying moment, he thought she may have truly left him alone. Then he felt her sigh and slumped in relief to hear her gentle thought-speech fill his mind.

_**-You said...-**_

He felt her gathering herself before she continued.

_**-You said your name was Seerow, right? I'm Katherine. Have to excuse me, not used to...speaking to me in the middle of the night. I swear...not offended or angry.-**_

He breathed a sigh of relief then started blabbering at her. He was making a fool of himself, he knew, but he couldn't seem to stop.

_**-That is good, I am usually terrible with females. I just never seem to know what exactly to say to them. If it means anything to you, I did try to ignore you. Then you began broadcasting so much anger and frustration and despair that I could no longer help myself. I was driven to answer your pleas; to do something to make your hurting stop.-**_

He could feel her smile at his comment.

_**-No one's worried about me before. Except my mom and dad, that's their job.-**_

He couldn't help the answering smile that came to his eyes. She was very endearing, this female. Now he truly wished to meet her. _**-Well now you have me to worry about you as well.- **_He hesitated, realizing she may not want a useless _Artish_ to worry about her. This made his next comment come out almost shyly. _**-That is if you wouldn't mind a lowly **_**Artish**_**.-**_

Gentle laughter floated through his mind. _**- I don't mind...-**_

He didn't understand why she was so amused. He was being very serious. He told her so.

Her next words made his blood run cold and both of his hearts skipped a beat.

_**-Then maybe I should leave you alone.-**_

He felt her mind withdraw again and panicked. He couldn't lose her. He reached out for her mind in a kind of desperate fear. _**-No! Please to not. Katherine...I do not wish to be left alone. Please...please...Just stay, talk to me for a while.-**_

Her response was immediate. _**-Seerow...? You feel terrified.-**_

His entire frame shaking, he answered her. _**-I am sorry for yelling. It is simply my first time off the home world and I fear very much being useless. I am not much of a fighter. My Prince despises me, and the other **_**Artish**_** on board want nothing to do with me. Truly I am alone. I thought when I heard you calling out that you may understand.-**_

Her voice was soft and soothing when she spoke again. _**-Sorry for upsetting you Seerow. I promise I'll stay for  
as long as you need. I won't leave you.-**_

He relaxed finally and realized he'd wandered far from the Domeship. This was a good thing. At least no one had seen him lose it.

_**-I...thank you Katherine.-**_

Her response came a moment later_**. -No problem.-**_

It occurred to him that he thought her name was lovely and he should tell her so. Given the circumstances though, he kept silent.

**-BREAK-**

((Katherine))

Katherine breathed a sigh of relief. At least she'd calmed him down. She knew she'd have to be careful, in the future, with the things she said to him. He was just too darned sensitive not to. It also seemed he could only hear her part of the time. She'd have to work on that so he didn't overhear everything she thought about.

_In the future_...She shook her head. Was she really beginning to believe he was real? It seemed so. At least it was someone to talk to while she was alone in the apartment.

**-BREAK-**

The two new friends spent the next few hours talking to one another about everything and anything. Katherine told him about her work with animals and her dream to be a writer. Seerow spoke to her of his home and his mother and also the death of his _shrorm_. Both fell asleep with the presence of another mind in theirs and, strangely, neither really minded.

Neither could know, however, just how significant this meeting of minds was. It would lead them into unimaginable danger and many adventures. It was only a matter of time...

**-BREAK-**

So...what do you think? Like it, Hate it? Please review.

Also, I'm aware of how Seerow must seem but please keep in mind that he is very young and still an _Artish_. Since little is known about this character, I'm taking a few liberties. He won't be this way throughout the entire story, he'll actually start to grow up.

_**Next chapter:**__Katherine and Seerow meet but everything is not as it seems._

Author's Notes:

1. In case you're wondering, he can't hear her unless her thoughts are in italics. That's when she's broadcasting. Otherwise she unconsciously shields where he can't hear her at all.

2. Notice that he actually hears the things she thinks/says slightly different than they way she actually thinks/says them.


End file.
